India, April 26 -- On Saturday, a part of the first-floor passage of a 90-year-old chawl in Mahim West caved in, leading to renewed fears among residents, who said they were "living on borrowed time". Repeated structural failures of this kind continue to plague the Daginawala Chawl even as a long-pending redevelopment project remains stalled.

Located opposite Mahim railway station, the chawl comprises four wings, with residential units on the upper floors and shops on the ground level. Of the 96 original tenants, only around 60 remain, with several families having moved out, citing safety concerns.

Residents said the structure had been declared dilapidated for years, with a no-objection certificate for redevelopment issued in 2017. The ...